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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1170
religious sects of India, is that of the Three Gunas, or Qualities inherent in
Prakriti. These Three Gunas or Qualities are held to be inherent in Prakriti,
or Nature, and consequently manifest in everything arising from Nature’s
processes, or manifestations of Prakriti. They are believed to be present
in equal proportions in Prakriti—that is, that they are equally balanced in
Nature. But in Nature’s manifestations, or forms of Prakriti, some one of the
Gunas may predominate in influence, or some two may overpower the third,
and so on. To the relative predominance of one or two of the Gunas, and the
resulting conflict among the three, the variety of manifestation, as well as the
constant change in Nature, is largely due. In other words, the Purusha and
the Prakriti, acted upon by the Three Gunas—the three often being spoken
of as the “Five Great Elements”—are the basis and cause of the phenomenal
universe in all of its many and constantly changing forms and appearances.
The Three Gunas are known, respectively, as satvas guna, also known
as Truth or Harmony; rajas guna, also known as Passion or Activity; and
tamas guna, also known as Indifference or Inertia (the definitions stated
representing the several Gunas in both their mental and material aspects).
As we have said, from the action and reaction, combinations and oppositions,
of the Three Gunas the physical and mental phenomena of the universe
are produced. Satvas Guna is considered as imponderable, luminous and
agreeable; Rajas Guna as intermediate between ponderability and its
opposite, and as both pleasant and unpleasant, or either—as a quality of
equilibrium, influencing and being influenced by both the other Gunas;
Tamas Guna as ponderous, dark, and disagreeable. Satvas Guna and Tamas
Guna are passive, in a sense; that is, in the lack of activity, motion or velocity.
The intermediate active quality—Rajas Guna—is the active, moving, exciting
Guna, which in turn is balanced by the harmonizing influence of Satvas Guna
and the dead weight and inertia of Tamas Guna.
Tamas Guna always obstructs, retards, hinders and holds back, or
endeavours to do so—in its mental aspect it manifests Ignorance, Superstition,
Sloth, etc. Rajas Guna is the source of physical and mental activity—it sets